.png)
AEW Power Rankings - Post AEW Dynamite 5th August 2020.
The first match on this week’s Dynamite featured a dozen men and it was one of the more straight forward matches on the card. Almost no women but a whole mess of tag teams as well as some big developments in both men’s singles championships means these rankings will start to change dramatically over the next few weeks. But will that start today?? Let’s find out…
MEN’S SINGLES | CHAMPIONS: JON MOXLEY (WORLD) & CODY (TNT)
1) MJF (8-0 Singles, 10-2 Overall)
FINALLY!! Finally MJF has gotten physically involved in the World Championship picture. He did his best to cost Jon Moxley his title bout (more on that match later) and we now know he will fight the World Champion at All Out. The story of MJF will not change until he loses: I can’t knock down a guy who hasn’t lost in his AEW career. All I can say is I can’t wait to see him fight (hopefully) Moxley on AEW’s biggest stage.
2) DARBY ALLIN (7-5 Singles, 8-8 Overall)
Allin impressed the absolute hell out of me in his match with Moxley. I’ll be honest, this has basically nothing to do with his record or his numbers. How could it? You can’t quantify heart or toughness. And Allin has those two things in spades. When your heart impresses JON MOXLEY, you’ve done something right. Allin is as good as anyone out there, and with his unique style and endless drive, it seems experience is the only thing standing between him and gold.
3) LANCE ARCHER (10-1 Singles, 10-1 Overall)
This is your weekly reminder Lance Archer threw a grown man through a ceiling. Unfortunately- and I only say this because I have a 13 foot ceiling- that’s not enough to keep you moving up in the rankings. But Archer is still one of the most dominant men in AEW and certainly one of the scariest.
4) BRIAN CAGE (6-1 Singles, 6-2 Overall)
Cage was banned from the arena this week- a fact Taz made sure we all remembered- but I couldn’t bring myself to bring him down in these rankings. The man is top 10 in the company in total offense and finishers and he remains the top grappler in AEW on a per hour basis. Once again, his only singles loss is to Jon Moxley so I can’t knock him for that. But one more loss for Cage could put him in very dicey water…
5) SCORPIO SKY (8-1 Singles, 12-8 Overall)
I’ll freely admit this is a guy who I have not given enough love to. Scorpio Sky is one of the best pound for pound athletes in AEW, he’s maybe the best defensive wrestler in the company with a 36% reversal rate and he does all this with a 51% match offense rating. Sky will get his first chance in a few months to prove himself against a top wrestler in the company when he takes on Cody for the TNT Championship next week and I can’t wait to see what he can do.
WOMEN’S SINGLES | CHAMPION: HIKARU SHIDA
1) NYLA ROSE (6-2 Singles, 9-3 Overall)
While Rose still tops these rankings, the margin has closed without a doubt. These are singles rankings, so Rose’s loss in the first round of the Deadly Draw- in a match in which she didn’t factor into the decision- doesn’t impact her the same way a singles loss would. But it’s important nonetheless. And while Rose looked dominant, a loss is a loss. The time is coming soon where Rose will have to step in the singles arena once again.
2) BIG SWOLE (6-3 Singles, 6-3 Overall)
While Swole did pick up a singles win, something I just said is more important than any multi-man match, her win came against a competitor who’s has all of 10 matches in the last two years. Unfortunately Swole’s win over a woman who was excited to even land a strike on her doesn’t move the needle much for me. But we draw ever closer to All Out, where Swole will get her chance on the biggest stage.
3) PENELOPE FORD (5-4 Singles, 6-6 Overall)
Ford looked awfully good in her match with the Nightmare Sisters, outshining the two women who beat her in that match. Unfortunately, and this is the case with most of the women in AEW, she just hasn’t been given the time to show what she can do in a singles capacity.
4) TAY CONTI (0-0 Singles, 1-0 Overall)
To give you a peak behind the curtain, I had already mostly committed to putting the top performer of Night 1 of the Deadly Draw in these rankings, but I wasn’t married to that idea. Well after seeing her, call me engaged because I truly believe Tay Conti is the next big star in AEW. Her Brazilian jiu-jitsu background gives her a style that is totally unique in AEW. She’s a tremendous striker, very quick and all four of her limbs could be registered weapons. Conti blew me out of the water in her AEW debut and, while it might be premature, I’m ready to say she’s among the best of AEW.
5) DIAMONTE (2-2 Singles, 2-3 Overall)
Diamonte lands here above Britt Baker because the Diamond has been in competition more recently. Don’t get me wrong, I still like Diamonte and I don’t believe she has a significant weakness between the ropes, I just need to see more from her to say for sure how good she is. I understand the irony given my previous entry…
MEN’S TAG TEAM | CHAMPION: MEGA COWBOYS
1) FTR (5-0)
There’s nowhere else I can say this so I’ll just say it here: the 12-man tag to open Dynamite was awesome. And one reason why it was awesome was FTR. They were crisp, fast, stiff as all hell and undoubtedly dangerous. The tag division has been in flux for months but I think we’ve found the undisputed #1 contender for the Tag Team Titles… for now.
2) DARK ORDER (8-1)
The Dark Order sent multiple teams into battle on Dynamite and all of them looked excellent. Stu Greyson and Evil Uno didn’t get the majority of the action in their 12-man match, but they were great when they were in and they’re clearly the Order’s top pairing.
3) YOUNG BUCKS (7-3)
The terrific brothers were two other stars of the 12-man tag match and they basically took on half a dozen Dark Order members single-handedly. We know how great the Bucks are, we see how great they are almost every week, and I’m just here to remind you one day, they will fight FTR. Just keep dreaming of that day.
4) BEST FRIENDS (13-5)
Every week I talk about the strengths and weaknesses of the Best Friends. Their wealth of experience and in-ring time is a major plus, but their multiple losses to top teams is a major minus. But maybe in a match they’re especially emotionally invested in, such as one where their opponents trashed Trent’s mom’s van, they’ll truly realize their potential.
5) JURASSIC EXPRESS (7-4)
Like I said last week, the boy and his dinosaur have flown under the radar. This week the focus was on the four previous teams on this list, but with Tag Team Appreciation Night coming up next week, I think it’s time the Express gets some love.